Montreal Group buys & DIY meeting ?

[outoftune]

i hadnt checked this thread for a while but i would still be up for a meetup at some point...this snow is slowly going away....

 

[okgb]

I think you just have to pick a time & place and
sometimes more will come and sometimes less
that way people can decide individually on their own
whether they can come or not on that particular day ,
otherwise the whole thing could become paralized
waiting for the planets to align .
So given the info you have now , pick the most likely
day and start establishing it , rain or shine

Good luck [ & skill ]

 

[vertiges]

[quote author="Bluzzi"]vertiges - I have problems just getting my buddies to meet every 2 weeks to Jam over at my place! So yes its hard. We all seem to live this life at the speed of light (or the speed of life which is title of one of my tunes).

But keep trying. Your enthusiasm is infectious.
[/quote]

I will !!! :wink:

[quote author="Bluzzi"]
I just finished my GSSLs and they work fine but as soon as I wired my Sidechain I got some "ducking". I removed them top make sure my main boards were functioning and they checked out 100% Actually they sound great without the sidechain even.

I think its because I left out the "ground" connection. I followed Greg's hookup to the "t" and since it didn't have the gorund connected I figured it doesn't need to be.

So when I get a minute I will hook one up again and this time connect ground to see if things change. Once I get the sidechain working I'll post pictures.
[/quote]

I'll post pictures too...

[quote author="Bluzzi"]
I have a place in Mascouche hwere you can get all kinds of machine screws etc. You may have to buy a box of 100 sometimes or sometimes they have a partial box they will sell you. Bug me in a few days and I'll have the name for you.
[/quote]

I'll bug you ! :twisted:

[quote author="Bluzzi"]
As for the metal work, yes its always the part everyone finds hard to do, including me. I just got some anodyzed panels from a place in Lachine (6 of 3RU anodyzed for $75.00) so thats just a bit more than $12 each, not great but not bad either.
[/quote]

:shock: $75 for 6 of 3U. What a good price !!! I've just bought 1 x 3U and 1 x 1U for around $35 : The AFT series for RAXXESS : http://www.raxxess.com/catalog.asp?CATID=114
It's a shop, or a friend who has the equipment ?

For my second GSSL, I've been obliged to go for a 3U because of the HUGE N.O.S. weston meter.
The problem was to make a big hole !!!

First I tried like this :

Actually it worked very well until 30% deep... (took me 20 minutes) but impossible to go further. I should have tried with some oil, but I doubt... :roll:

On the following pic, you can see two things :

1) the big meter !
2) I work on the kitchen table !!! :green:

Here is the back panel :

Thanks to Greelee : fast and efficient ! :thumb:

Finally, I made the big hole with a jig saw and a dremel for polishing a bit the contour. Here is the final result before painting (concerning the front panel, the face you see is the "verso"):

The big hole actually, is more like a "complex polygonal" form than a circle... but you know... :green:
The meter fits perfectly inside and is perfectly centered ! And with the meter inside, that won't be visible !

[quote author="Bluzzi"]

I finished doing my panel design in Illustrator and I will be getting front and back panels laser engraved this week. I'm not sure how much or how good the place is yet so ask me in 2 weeks.

[/quote]

I will use the Safmat film method on this one.
I've made the prototype (My first GSSL) with normal transfert paper, and I've been disapointed. The problem is you have to apply 2 or 3 coats of varnish on the "paper" before putting it in the water. That gives a strange texture, very irregular and the film becomes thick... Not that bad, but I'm sure the Safmat will be better. I'll post some pics of the two methods !!!

[quote author="Bluzzi"]
Other than finishing my current projects (GSSL and MP-2 and EZ1290 pres) the only other thing I'm working on is a 1084EQ on 1 pcb. I really want to go back top my recording and composing for a bit. DIY is addictive and it takes me way too much time, I'm the slowest DIY guy there is.
jim[/quote]

Actually, I made a kind of overdose with my job of sound engineer. I spent the end of the last year (Christmas time included ) on a big project : sound design for an animation movie / 10 weeks in a row :? .
I needed to have a break, to do something else like building a second GSSL and a preamp... :green:

But now, I feel like going back... I've got an album project to finish too... (I'm musician as well...) I agree with you : DIY is addictive and takes a lot of time !!! :wink:

I'll bug you in a few days,

eD)))

 

[vertiges]

[quote author="outoftune"]i hadnt checked this thread for a while but i would still be up for a meetup at some point...this snow is slowly going away....[/quote]

Cool :thumb: !!!

[quote author="okgb"] ....the whole thing could become paralized
waiting for the planets to align .
[/quote]

:green:

[quote author="okgb"]
So given the info you have now , pick the most likely
day and start establishing it , rain or shine

Good luck [ & skill ][/quote]

I will... :wink:

eD)))

 

[Bluzzi]

Vertiges - The price was for 6 panel,s not the entire case, in case thats what you thought.

Me and 3nity are trying to find some places for engraving etc. in Mtl. I'll be getting some laser engraving this week and I'll get back to you.

I've thought about getting a CNC but its not worth it really. A good one that works fast is way too expensive. Little ones are too slow. By the time you get a small weak CNC going with software etc. I can have a panel milled & finished! CNC would be good for production to make panels for others, but the good ones start at around $6K without software and bits.

This however seems to be all our main problem....cases and panel printing/drilling.

Vertiges - If you can design your panels in Illustrator you can get them engraved or printed (I'm sure there are other ways but its easiest I found). I have some names of shops. PM me and I'll find them for you.

jim

 

[vertiges]

[quote author="Bluzzi"]Vertiges - The price was for 6 panel,s not the entire case, in case thats what you thought.[/quote]

Yes, for 6 panels, that's what I understood. :wink:

[quote author="Bluzzi"]
Me and 3nity are trying to find some places for engraving etc. in Mtl. I'll be getting some laser engraving this week and I'll get back to you.
[/quote]

COOL :thumb: !!!

[quote author="Bluzzi"]
I've thought about getting a CNC but its not worth it really. A good one that works fast is way too expensive. Little ones are too slow. By the time you get a small weak CNC going with software etc. I can have a panel milled & finished! CNC would be good for production to make panels for others, but the good ones start at around $6K without software and bits.

This however seems to be all our main problem....cases and panel printing/drilling.
[/quote]

I totally agree...

[quote author="Bluzzi"]
Vertiges - If you can design your panels in Illustrator you can get them engraved or printed (I'm sure there are other ways but its easiest I found). I have some names of shops. PM me and I'll find them for you.
[/quote]

I will PM you !!! That's a great news !!!

Thanks a lot,


eD

 

[outoftune]

keep me posted on the laser engraving/front panels in town, i'd love to find a place to do that. i am also wondering if any of you have a good source for buying full 1U/2U/3U cases in town? Only place I have found one is at studio economik.

 

[vertiges]

For the rack cases :

The cheapest place I've found so far :

http://www.rpelectronics.com/Default.asp?Main=/English/OnlineCat.asp?Menu=/English/Content/Categories/CatM_53.asp%26Detail=/English/Content/Categories/Cat_53.asp

They are in Burnaby, BC, they ship pretty fast.

For 1 X RC-U1-10 (1U) and 1 X RC-U3-12 (3U), I paid $ 113 CAD shipping and taxes included. (Shipping to Montreal was $ 9.55 CAD).

They have a lot of cool stuff too, like tips for Weller, etc.

I'll post pictures maybe later today or tomorrow !!! :wink:

eD))

By the way, how much did you pay at Studio Economik ?

 

[Bluzzi]

Vertiges - Yes I think you gave me that source a while back and I have to ask you something.

The 1RU case with the aluminum panel. If that is the one you got. Is the front panel removable from the case? The reason I ask is because someone told me its part of the case and therefore becomes hard to drill.

From what I see it is removable and easily worked on.

jim

 

[vertiges]

Jim,

I answered to your email a few hours ago, but I forgot to click on the send button...
You sould have received it by now...

Here are the pictures from PAR-METAL ; the ones RP-ELECTRONICS sells are very similar except the side panels are not perforated :

Notes :

As you can see, the case is composed by 6 panels. The handles can be unscrewed. When you use the handles, the front panel is screwed from the inside of the rack, when you don't, the front panel is screwed from the exterior of the case. I hope I'm clear... :roll:

As described, you have to cut the metal for making space if you want for example inserting a B-ringer or to put two toggle switches vertically.

B is smaller than A - there is room for the heads of the screws.


I'll give you the exact dimensions later when I'll be back to Montreal ; I'm still in the country making holes in the snow :wink: .
I'll post pics too...

eD)))

 

[Bluzzi]

thanks Vertiges.

I see what you mean about cutting if you need something "flush" against top or bottom as there is a "lip" on the bottom and top.

Not the ideal case but the price is good for the 1RU right now.

the only thing is the back is steel not aluminum right? Makes it a bit harder to machine. Not impossible just harder.

Again thanks for the info.

Enjoy the snow! (I've had enough!)

jim

 

[vertiges]

Jim,

There is a pic of the back panel in a previous post in this thread.
The one I punched with the Greenlee...

Actually, I hadn't noticed it was steel... I made the square hole for the IEC quite easily... I'll check... But maybe it's steel, but it is thiner than the front panel.

Yes, unfortunately, there is a "lip"... That's the word I was looking for...

eD)))

 

[vertiges]

OK,

There are the measurements :
I've just checked : there are exactely the same dimensions of the PAR-METAL ones... :shock:

except : the dimensions between two screws holes may differ, because RP-Electronics offers different depth sizes.


(But the funny thing is : the B from one of my PAR-METAL 1U case is higher thant the 1.42 announced, actually it's 1.50... :roll

The following tables are the datas from PAR-METAL :

Another difference : there are two rows of holes on the top panel :

eD)))


PS : the beige one, in my first GSSL, the prototype... :wink:

EDITED : another difference... about the RP ONES : the side panels are not perforated...

 

[outoftune]

thanks for that lead on cases, much appreciated.

 

[vertiges]

Hello all,

A pic of my finished GSSLs :wink: :

The 1U is the prototype.

The 3U version has the SuperSC option, Wima and Black Gates caps in the audio path and a huge NOS Weston meter.

I'm working on a DIY page on my web site... I'll try to take better pictures and I'll add more detailed infos...

I'm planing to build another similar 3U but with the Oxford option... BUT I have to finish my dual 312 clone and my Night EQ first ! :green:

eD)))

 

[3nity]

Jim i think RP eletronics is our way to go man!!
thats exciting good news!

 

[Bluzzi]

eD, very nice work on the cases. Nice look too.

I don't know if I've posted before on this but I had some anodyzed panels Laser Engraved last week and although my design came out exactly it didn't have enough contrast with my anodyzed color which was "Champagne".

Monday I'm picking up 4 panels, Black, Blue, Green and Gold anodyzed (one of each) and will give it another try to see what comes out the best and I'll report back my results. They couldn't fit my 3RU panel in the tank for color Red so I will not get a chance to try Red yet (which I think would have been the best contrast after Black). Black shows engraving best but its such a common color and so I want something else.

The trouble with laser engraving is unless you have the right type (CO2 is most common and gives good results only on Black anodyzed aluminum) I don't think you will get enough contrast. After this week I'll know more on the subject.

jim

 

[vertiges]

[quote author="Bluzzi"]eD, very nice work on the cases. Nice look too.[/quote]

Thanks !

[quote author="Bluzzi"]
I don't know if I've posted before on this but I had some anodyzed panels Laser Engraved last week and although my design came out exactly it didn't have enough contrast with my anodyzed color which was "Champagne".

Monday I'm picking up 4 panels, Black, Blue, Green and Gold anodyzed (one of each) and will give it another try to see what comes out the best and I'll report back my results. They couldn't fit my 3RU panel in the tank for color Red so I will not get a chance to try Red yet (which I think would have been the best contrast after Black). Black shows engraving best but its such a common color and so I want something else.

The trouble with laser engraving is unless you have the right type (CO2 is most common and gives good results only on Black anodyzed aluminum) I don't think you will get enough contrast. After this week I'll know more on the subject.
jim[/quote]

Jim, thanks for the infos.

This method of printing doesn't work on non-anodized colored panels right ?
Where do you get your front panels anodized painted in different colour ?

eD)))

EDIT : I'm asking about the different colours of the front panel because, like you, I would like to use more original colours... Not pink, but you know what I mean... :wink:
I've found a "fantastic" vintage looking orange for my API 312... but it's car painting...

 

[Bluzzi]

eD, for the moment I am experimenting on what the best process is for me.

No you won't get good results with laser engraving on plain aluminum. The laser essentially "burns" throught the anodyzing layer and displays the aluminum. Aluminum on aluminum does not work well.

Trouble with anodyzing is custom colors are expensive as they have to set up a production line just for you. So unless you want a few hundred panels its very expensive.

For custom colors powder coat is best. But again if its just for yourself, ordinary spray paint may be OK. I'll be trying that too. This all takes time and money. I'll report my findings along the way.

jim

 

[vertiges]

Jim, after your explanation, I realize I haven't understood very well what the laser engraving was. OK, it's clear now.

You're right, all these experimentations take time & money ! :roll:

eD)))